There’s a pretty decent-sized queue outside Rebellion on this thankfully mild November evening, a sure sign something fun is going down. And you’d be correct, as tonight Geezacore pioneers Pintglass are in Manchester. The crowd are all decked out in high-vis vests and Stella Artois gear, and there is a definite party atmosphere to Rebellion tonight.
Openers are local deathcore lads Only Pain. They might only have one song to their current catalogue, ‘Victim Complex’, released just five days before the show, but it didn’t matter. They brought the hardcore dancers to early doors and it absolutely kicked the night off with a bang. The vibe of the room is fantastic from the get-go, and Only Pain absolutely rose to the occasion, their vocalist being particularly energetic, throwing a few karate kicks himself on stage too. The rest of their catalogue was strong, full of breakdowns and groove, getting the crowd two-stepping as well as kicking.
London’s Negative Frame have been a staple of the UK beatdown scene since 2017, and their groovy hardcore is the perfect bridge between the openers and the main act. Ferocious and full of energy, the crowd is going insane within moments. Wholeheartedly encouraging violence from the crowd, their groovy breakdowns wind the crowd up brilliantly, we have stage divers, crowd surfers, and a whole lot of hardcore dancing going on. Negative Frame brought a whole load of bounce to Rebellion, and by the time they leave the stage everyone is sweaty and rabid for the headliners.
Pintglass are back in town. Taking to the stage with massive amounts of swagger, Stella in hand, and all sporting high-visibility vests, it’s quickly obvious there is absolutely no way you are supposed to take this seriously. Starting out in 2019 as a side project, they quickly evolved into this light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek dig at the stereotypical working-class lad and construction site worker who worships the pub and loves a good full English breakfast.
There’s a lot of excitement around Pintglass at the moment, with other artists lining up to work with them. Notably, Matt Honeycutt of Kublai Khan and Paleface Swiss‘ Zelli both guested on their excellent 14th November release Pintglass. The band are frequently guesting for others too, such as PeelingFlesh and Street Soldier.
Fusing humour with huge riffs and brutal vocals, the crowd is absolutely heaving from the moment they step on stage. Stopping only to get the crowd riled up with chants of “GEEZA!”, take a drink (Stella, of course), or crack some jokes, they blast through multiple tracks from their new album, including ‘Mental in the Rental’, ‘The Court Bus Extravaganza’, and ‘Pintglass by Pintglass off the Album Pintglass’, before treating us to a whole bunch of older songs and even their collab track with Street Soldier, ‘GTHC’.
The stage doesn’t stop filling with stage divers, and you can see the heat rising from the crowd. I haven’t seen an audience so mental in a long time! The dynamic between the vocalists is excellent, the other musicians all frenetic in their energy throughout the entire set too, often demanding more violence from the crowd themselves. Finishing off the set with the most impressive wall of death I’ve seen in such a small venue, Pintglass leave the stage having taken no prisoners and leaving Rebellion a sweaty, happy mess.
